1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the packaging means used to ship delicate electronic components from manufacturer to consumer. More specifically, the present invention constitutes a packaging means particularly well suited for shipping a small number of such components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Delicate electronic components, such as those which include the integrated circuit devices commonly known as chips, are generally shipped in injection-molded plastic trays. The trays themselves include a frame and a number of internal pockets, each of which may contain electronic components to be shipped. The internal pockets, however, cannot be readily separated from the frame or from one another, in a manner that would permit less than a full tray of electronic components to be shipped without compromising the dimensions and physical integrity of the pockets themselves. In addition, since the leads of such components are extremely delicate, heretofore, it has been difficult to handle and separate components for shipment for fear of damaging the leads.
The present invention provides a solution to the shortcomings in the prior-art trays of this type in the form of a tray from which an individual pocket or strip of pockets housing an electronic component or components may be clipped out with an appropriate tool and inserted into a shipping tube for dispatch to a customer. The pockets are defined within raised rims to permit stacking.